Patient's characteristics and clinical features in alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients with bacterial meningitis. ^a

aData are number/number evaluated (%) or median (interquartile range); bDefined as otitis/sinusitis, pneumonia or immunocompromise; cdefined as the use of immunosuppressive drugs or the presence of diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, asplenia, or HIV infection; dscores on the Glasgow Coma Scale range from 3 to 15, with 15 indicating a normal level of consciousness; edefined as fever, neck stiffness, and change in mental status; fdefined as the presence of focal cerebral deficits or cranial nerve palsies; gdefined as aphasia, mono- or hemiparesis.